Written by DCist contributor Amy Cavanaugh With all the Smithsonian museums clustered around the mall, it’s easy to overlook the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, which has been chronicling the life of the area’s residents since 1967. Their new exhibit, East of the River: Continuity and Change, celebrates 500 years of southeast Washington in a sweeping overview of its triumphs and tragedies. From archaeological artifacts to paintings to documents to video, the multimedia components of East…

Written by DCist contributor Jesse Kaye T-21 days. The countdown is on for what may determine the fate of a large part of Southeast D.C. October 19 is the date set by the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development when all RFEI’s, or requests for expressions of interest, are due — and the date by which we ought to finally have an idea of what will happen to Poplar Point. A year ago, the…

After only two days since the official start of the school year, the police have already been called to Southeast D.C.’s Ballou Senior High School. WUSA reports that a fight broke out in the school’s cafeteria on Tuesday. No one was seriously injured, but the incident resulted in five arrests. It’s just the latest problem for one of D.C.’s most chaotic schools. Back in 2003, you’ll remember that Ballou was closed for more than…

If you follow the comments on this site at all, you’ve probably noticed that one of the topics that stirs up much digital debate is Metro. Be they lovers or haters, DCist readers love to complain about it, compare it to systems in other cities (especially New York), suggest ways to improve it, etc., etc. Well, here’s your chance to take your comments offline and address them to someone who can actually do something about…

Good Morning, Washington. Looks like it’s going to be a beautiful, if a tad hot, day. Highs should be up around 90, with the humidity and rain we’ve all been hearing about holding off at least until tomorrow. Initiative for Slots Off Ballot: For those of you who have been waiting for electronic slots to hit D.C., looks like you’ll be waiting a bit longer. WTOP tells us that the PAC that has been working…

You have to step back from D.C. occasionally to see how significantly the look of the city is changing in a short space of time. Large scale change spans the District, from new construction in the West End north of Foggy Bottom, to the cranes remaking Columbia Heights, to the new buildings stretching east from downtown toward the rising office towers at New York and Florida Avenues. Just outside the city, the massive National Harbor…

Immigration News: The Post reports that yesterday thousands gathered outside the Capitol building to protest legislation that could potentially authorize prosecution of social service workers, doctors, and others who assist illegal immigrants. A protest spokesperson estimated that 20,000 people showed up to the rally. The original House bill was sponsored by Representatives from Wisconsin and New York, but issues surrounding immigration are locally pertinent. The Post also looks today at a Brookings Institution study…

Good morning Washington, the weather will be in the 60s and sunny with the next 10 days “consistently average,” says Capital Weather. This photo of the Hirshhorn is from Justin DC, posted in DCist Photos via Flickr. Serial Arsonist Caught: Authorities say that the serial arsonist who has plagued parts of the District, Virginia and Maryland has been caught. Read about this big story in the Post, W.Times and the Examiner. According to investigators, a…

A standoff between activists and the police at a closed men’s shelter in Southeast D.C. ended yesterday when police arrested the remaining protestors. The activists had moved into the structure on Thursday, Nov. 25 to protest the sale of the building to the Corcoran Museum of Art. The City plans to sell the former school to the museum for $6.2 million. After the Randall Homeless shelter closed earlier in November, the city opened up 150…

John Hinckley, who shot then-President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton in 1981, wants unsupervised visits home to see his aging parents in Williamsburg, Va., the Post reports. Hinkley, who has been confined to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C. for the past two decades, has been allowed to leave the hospital campus unsupervised on a few occasions to see his parents when they have been in D.C. Although those visits went off without…